Green Tea Orange Scented Madeleines!!

I have had a madeleine pan from Williams Sonoma for a while, but have not had the opportunity to bake with it, until now! (I did make pretty dried flower ice cubes with it once -- see those below!) I love pretty little delicate desserts and this pan is perfect for soft and subtle flavors. I chose to make a green tea orange scented madeleine. Simply dusted with powder sugar, madeleines are prefect for tea time or breakfast, and one of my favorite deserts. Enjoy!

  

Green Tea Orange Scented Madeleines

INGREDEINTS:

2/3 cup flour

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup sugar

zest from one orange

1 earl green tea matcha bag, cut open

2 large eggs. at room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

6 tbsp (3/4 stick) butter, melted and cooled plus a little extra for greasing the pan

PROCESS:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, combine sugar, orange zest, and the contents from the green tea bag until well mixed.
2. Beat eggs into sugar for a full 3 minutes, or until the mixture is pale and smooth. Beat in vanilla.
3. Gently fold flour mixture into the egg mixture. Finally, gently stir in cooled, melted butter.
4. Place a sheet of plastic wrap on top of the mixture (not just over the bowl, make sure to press it down onto the madeleine batter) and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
5. Once chilled appropriately, remove from fridge and preheat oven to 400F degrees. Butter and flour your madeleine pan, then fill each madeleine with approx. 2 tsp of batter.
6. Bake at 400F degrees for 10-12 minutes -- until golden. The madeleines should spring back when gently pressed with a finger.
7. Remove from oven and gently tap out of pan and onto a cooling rack.
8. Dust with powdered sugar. -- ENJOY!

(If you do not have green tea, try it with a bag of earl grey! The one thing that surprised me while making this recipe, is the batter gets very thick in the refrigerator for 3 hours. Make sure not to over fill the tray!! I'm thinking maybe a maple or vanilla bean bourbon up next!)

recipe adapted from On Sugar Mountain